Joyce Melcar Tan appointed Associate Director, Japan and Southeast Asia

ClientEarth is pleased to announce the appointment of Joyce Melcar Tan as our new Associate Director, Japan and Southeast Asia. Joyce will be responsible for our growing energy transition and nature programmes in the region.

Joyce joined ClientEarth in February 2020 as the first lawyer in our Japan and Southeast Asia regional team, working to strengthen corporate climate governance, financial and energy regulation and environmental rule of law across the region. Her experience prior to joining ClientEarth spans top Philippine law firm SyCipLaw, consulting for the Asian Development Bank, academia and public policy in the Philippines and research at the Center for Law, Justice and Society (Dejusticia) in Colombia. She has represented the Philippines and civil society in UN climate and biodiversity treaty-related negotiations. Joyce is qualified as a lawyer in the Philippines and New York.

Laura Clarke OBE, CEO of ClientEarth, said “Joyce is an exceptionally talented lawyer experienced across our climate change, energy transition, nature and environmental rule of law focuses in this critical region. We are looking forward to working with Joyce and are confident our work in Asia will continue to go from strength to strength under her leadership.”

ClientEarth has been present in Asia since 2016, beginning with our office in Beijing. Since then, we have built a team of more than 30 law and policy experts with staff in Beijing, Tokyo and Southeast Asia alongside our European and US offices. In May 2023, we established an office in Japan and launched our ClientEarth in Asia website – adopting a tailored approach in the region. Our work is building legal frameworks to address climate change, accelerating the transition to clean and accessible energy and protecting natural ecosystems.

ClientEarth’s work and impact in Japan and Southeast Asia has grown rapidly under the leadership of outgoing Associate Director Peter Barnett. Peter said “Joyce is an outstanding lawyer, an inspiring leader and ideally placed to lead ClientEarth’s work in Japan and Southeast Asia as we grow our impact and deepen our relationships. I look forward to following Joyce and the team’s ongoing success.”

Joyce remarked, “I am deeply honoured by this opportunity to lead our talented team. Our lawyers’ passion to drive impactful change in Asia is truly inspiring. I look forward to collaborating closely with our partners across government, the private sector and civil society as we continue working to address the climate and nature crises.”